Review: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE - Birmingham Rep

Photo credit: Mark Senior

As Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter say goodbye to wartime Britain and arrive as evacuees in the Highlands of Scotland, little do they know that this isn’t the only Wintery trip they’re going to be making. Stepping through the wardrobe in the spare room, they re-emerge in Narnia, a mystical kingdom in an unknown land where creatures talk like humans.

Taken from C.S. Lewis’s classic novel and coming direct from London’s West End, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is directed by Michael Fentiman, and it’s certainly an adventure for the whole family, with puppets, magic tricks and a wicked witch.

Tom Paris’ set and costume design transport us from 1940’s London to Narnia’s magic with ease. There is a flawless move from the wintery forest to Mr Tumnus’ house and it’s a delight to see the actor/musicians as suited travellers, various forest animals or the white witch’s evils. The choreography by Shanelle ‘Tali’ Fergus is - on the whole - playful, combining different styles within the piece and Jack Knowles’ lighting creates the light and the dark of the story consistently.

Liyah Summers as Susan is the strongest of the four children. A natural storyteller, she takes on the role of ‘parent’ amongst them and has a nice control over her performance. Oliver Hoare as Aslan has a marvellous presence and works seamlessly with his spectacular lion puppet; their movements matching perfectly throughout is a pretty impressive sight to behold.

The mix of puppets and performers work well - we have a particularly soft spot for the cat, Schrodinger! Some parts might need to be approached with caution for some younger children as the content is quite dark in places, but it is apparent from the audience reaction that they were delighted with the end result.

One for all ages this Christmas and a pleasant alternative from the usual seasonal productions.

Darkly magical.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe plays at the Birmingham Rep Theatre until 28 January, with further information here.